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Today’s Botanical Artists On Matching Colors

5) How do you match your colors? Do you achieve this by glazing or do you mix your colors in a palette?

Julie Sims Messenger:
I use glazing technique to achieve form and color. Starting with studying the subject, I choose lots of pigments, cool/warm, transparent and opaque, and then I begin with the thinnest of glaze and work from back to front. I work intuitively and every couple of hours have to stop and come back to reassess the work for color correcting. After the form is apparent, I start working drier gradually. It is very slow work. I also feel free to keep over-glazing all or part of the work as I go along to keep color correcting and to soften hard edges. I just feel this way works for me to keep the nuances of color and light reflection alive in the work.

Rose Pellicano:
Through study and experience, I know which colors to mix to achieve a close match. I begin by applying a light wash of color, I then place the appropriate color and I dip my brush in water and move the color to achieve appropriate values. I intensify the color by glazing or by applying tiny brush strokes.

Louise Smith:
My paintings contain both glazing and colors mixed in the palette. This can go back and forth.

Wendy Smith: This can be done both ways and each artist has their own opinion and preference. Some feel that glazing allows a purity of color and light to show through in the paint. I’ve tried both and generally prefer mixing the color on my palette before applying it to the working surface. I like to see the color on a white porcelain surface first in order to match colors; however, in some instances I use glazing to enhance details, shadows or highlights, especially if I’m using an opaque medium.

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